REASONS Humbly offered to the Honourable HOUSE of COMMONS, By the Free Traders of ENGLAND, Against the IMPOSITION desired by the Creditors of the Hamborough-Company, to be laid on all Goods coming from any Part between the Schau and Calais, for the Discharging of the said Companies Debts.  
1, THAT we are informed, that the said Debt was Contracted by reason of great sums of Moneys lent and given to our former Kings, or their Ministers, and to those in Authority in the Times of the late Troubles, for the Maintaining of their Patent, which was then called into question, as prejudicial to the Trade, but especially to the Manufacture of the Nation.  
2. Wherefore we judge it unreasonable, that all German, Flemish, and Holland Goods, brought in by others his Majesty's Subjects, that are not of the said Company, should be charged towards the payment of those Debts which were Contracted by the said Company, for their particular advantage only.  
3. By this Artifice, the said Company do tacitly insinuate themselves into a kind of owning or approving of their Patent by Parliament; which we humbly conceive, not to be the intention of this Honourable House: but on the contrary, we hope the Parliament will look upon it as a Monopoly, and judge it prejudicial to the Nation, to have their Patent owned by which they pretend a Right to be the Sole Exporters of our Woollen Manufacture, to the places within their Patent; which doubtless they will put in Execution, with the utmost Rigour, if o●ce their Patent comes to be owned by Parliament.  
4 But, if besides this, they could so settle their Patent, as to have the Sole Importation of all manner of Goods, out of the Country's mentioned in their Patent, which hitherto hath been Free for all men, we humbly desire the Honourable House of Commons, to consider the prejudice the Nation would receive thereby: for, if one Company, how great or numerous soever, have the sole Exportation of our Manufacture ●o so considerable a part of the World; and the sole Importation of all Commodities from so considerable a part of the World, they may by their BY-LAWS so Combine together, as to buy our Manufacture at as low a Rate, and to sell the Comoditieses they port, at as high a Rate as they please, and so every themselves, to the Impoverishing of t●e Nation.  
5. But, to show that the Imposition itself is of prejudice to the Nation, in regard it wo●ld be too tedious to instance in all Commodities, we will only instance in that one Commodity of Linen: All ●innen from Germany, Holland, and Flanders▪ have already very high Customs and Duties laid upon them, amounting in some sorts to 20. in some to 15. in some to 12. per Cent. and those that pay least pay above 10. per Cent. of ●he value which is much higher than the Duties on any other sort of Linen, and in particular the French Linen; Whereas most of the Linens from Germany, Flanders and Holland are bought with the product of our Manufacture, and aught therefore to be the more encouraged; whereas, on the contrary, most (if not all the F●ench Linens are bought with ready Money, and are not the Returns of the product of our Manufacture, in regard the French King hath laid so great an Imposition on our Manu facture, that hardly any of it is transported into France.  
6 But, if yet more Impositions be laid on those Linens, it will more increase the Importation of French Linens, and consequently more every France, and more obstruct the bringing in of Linens from G●rmany, Holland and Flanders, and consequently the Consumption of our Manufacture: For if they cannot vend thei● Linen, they cannot buy our Manufacture: but on the contrary, as they find the Linen Manufactures to decay, t●ey will be necessitated to fall upon making Woollen Manufactures, and will in time need none of ours.  
7. This new Imposition would diminish his Majesty's Customs, for about ⅓ of the Linen t●at come from Germany, Flanders, and Holland, are again Exported, to Ireland, to the Canaries, and to other Western Islands, and to our Colonies and Plantations in the West Indies, upon which, when so Exported, his Majesty doth Retain declaro ha●f the Customs: now if this new Imposition be laid upon them, the Duties will be so high, that there can be none Exported, but the above mentioned places will be furnished at cheaper Rates from Holland, Hamburg and Flanders, and consequently his Majesty will lose all that part of the Customs, which he now keeps of the said Linens, which after Importation are again Exported. Now in regard there will be scarce any Exportation, because the Duties will be so exceeding high, it will be worth the while to run them on Shore, and so defraud his Majesty of the whole Custom, to the great diminution of his Majesties Revenue; whereas at present, because half the Custom and the whole Additional Duty is returned at the Exportation, no man endeavours to save Custom, because he than loses that benefit at the Exportation.  
8. We humbly desire the Honourable House of Commons to consider whether if they make a Precedent of paying this Companies Debts, it may not become the Case of the Companies of London, who have borrowed Mone●s upon their Common Seal, and of all Corporations, and the Chamber of London itself, and whether the Bankers a●d others that have lent, and may hereafter lend vast Sums of Money, may not hope for the like Favour? the consequences of which the Honourable House of Commons will be best able to judge.  
9 To lay a Tax upon Goods, would make all men leave of their Trades in the Company, and drive th●●r Trade in Dutch Bottoms, or in some Marts or Towns as are out of the Companies Privileges.  
10. This very Debt, was, by a Committee of the House of Commons, 21. Jac. Voted to be fully satisfied, and a Sum over and above, and the Charter of the Hambrough Company a Grievance, both in the Creation and Execution of it; and will the Parliament in their Legislative own to make that good by an Act.